Marlins at Rockies
The Colorado Rockies will try salvage a split of their four-game series
when the host the Miami Marlins on Sunday, but the odds are not in their
favor. The Rockies are 3-16 on Sunday this season and 9-35 since the
start of 2011 on the seventh day. And Saturdays have been worse. They
fell to 6-33 in weekend games in 2012 following their 6-5 loss on
Saturday as Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton continued his
assault on the Rockies. Stanton hit a three-run homer in the first
inning and has gone deep in each of his six games at Coors Field. After
winning the first four games of its homestand, Colorado has lost two
straight and owns the worst home record in baseball at 25-39.
The Rockies will be without All-Star left fielder Carlos Gonzalez for
the second straight game. Gonzalez was placed on the bereavement list
Saturday after the death of his grandfather in Venezuela. Gonzalez will
be eligible to rejoin the Rockies on Tuesday in New York. While Florida's
Josh Johnson is only 2-2 in his last five starts, he has a 1.60 ERA and
.161 batting average against during that span. He will oppose Colorado
rookie Drew Pomeranz, who was skipped in his last turn and is winless in
seven starts at home this season.
TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), Root Sports (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Josh Johnson (7-9, 3.73 ERA) vs. Rockies LH Drew Pomeranz (1-7, 5.04)
Johnson has lost his last two starts, including a 1-0 setback to
Philadelphia on Aug. 14 when he allowed one run, three hits and struck
out seven in eight innings. He lost at the New York Mets and won at
Washington in his previous two starts. Johnson is 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in
five games (four starts) against Colorado, including 1-0, 1.13 at Coors
Field. The Rockies' roster is hitting .178 in 45 at-bats against him
with 13 strikeouts. Dexter Fowler is 2-for-4 with a double.
Pomeranz allowed four runs and six hits in four innings in Colorado's
9-3 loss to San Francisco on Aug. 11. Pomeranz, who continues to have
problems with his mechanics, has pitched four innings in each of his
last four starts. In his previous outing, he struck out a career-high
seven, allowed three hits and walked three in the Rockies' 2-0 victory
at Los Angeles on Aug. 6. Pomeranz has never faced the Marlins.
WALK-OFFS
1. Emilio Bonifacio is expected to return to the Marlins' lineup Sunday
after missing 13 games with a thumb injury. Manager Ozzie Guillen would
prefer Bonifacio play center field for the rest of the season and not
bounce back and forth between there and second base. Bonifacio missed 46
contests earlier this season with the same ailment.
2. Rockies 1B Michael Cuddyer, who was playing his third game Saturday
since returning from the disabled list, left after he re-aggravated his
oblique injury in the seventh inning. He will return to the DL.
3. Colorado recalled OF Charlie Blackmon from Triple-A Colorado Springs
to replace Gonzalez. He struck out as a pinch hitter Saturday. Blackmon
was hitting .303 with five homers and 34 RBIs in 59 games with Colorado
Springs.